It Doesn't Have to be This Way
by DarthMalRocks
Summary: Hiei finds Botan crying in the Makai forest. What happened to her and what will he do about it?


Disclaimer: I dont own Yu Yu Hakusho. Never have, never will. Damn.  
  
ONTO THE STORY!  
  
Tears flew from Botan's eyes as she ran through the Makai forest. She had been running for miles, never stopping, just to get away from Koenma. Once again he had called her, once more she had gone to him and obeyed him, once again he had used her body for his own sick and twisted pleasure, once more she was rejected the love she deserved. She loved Koenma but he didn't return that love, at least not the way she wanted him to. She finally gave up running and flung herself down on the ground under a tree and continued weeping. It just so happened that Hiei was sitting up in that tree listening to Botan's weeping and he wondered what was wrong. So he jumped out of the tree and walked up to the sobbing ferry girl.  
  
"What's wrong, Botan?" He asked.  
  
"Just go away," was the response.  
  
"Why should I?" He asked.  
  
"Hiei just go away, I don't have time to argue with you! Besides, you wouldn't care anyways." Hiei looked at her for a moment and said, "Fine, but you should know that I do care and I'm not as insensitive as everyone says I am. I only treat others as they treat me and you have always been nice to me so I thought I could help." Hiei turned and started walking away as Botan lifted her head and watched him start to leave.   
  
"Wait! Hiei, please come back," she called after him. Hiei turned and walked back to her. Botan looked at him and said, "I have never been nice to you, why did you say I have?"  
  
"You've been nicer than the others. Instead of teasing me or mocking me you avoid me. That's the most respect I've ever been shown. At least you don't make me want to kill myself." Everything was silent for a moment but Botan broke the silence by saying, "Hiei, how much does it hurt?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The pain you hold in, all the times you've been abandoned, tortured, used, how much does it hurt?"  
  
"It doesn't. There was a time when it did but one day it just...stopped. I feel nothing."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?" Botan looked in Hiei's red eyes and saw some kind of childlike innocence. Like when a child asks his mother what something is. "I'm sorry for how mistreated you are, you didn't deserve it."  
  
"Don't be sorry. I deserve what I get." was all Hiei said. More tears came from Botan's eyes as she asked him more questions. "Hiei, have you ever been held in someones arms or comforted?"   
  
"Hn. No."  
  
"Have you ever been hugged?"  
  
"What is that?" Botan's eyes widened at this response and she looked in Hiei's eyes only to see that look of innocence again. "Hugging is...well, I'll just show you!" She moved closer to the fire demon and put her arms around him and pulled him in. Immediatly, she felt Hiei's body tense up as he pulled away and started trembling. She looked in his eyes and saw fear and panic in them. Afraid that he was going to leave she said, "Hiei, I'm not going to hurt you. A hug is a good thing. Please, come back." Hiei calmed down a bit but his body wouldn't stop shaking as he let her wrap her arms around him again. She was very gentle with him as she pulled him into her. As soon as he stopped shaking she said, "There, now you wrap your arms around me." Very slowly, Hiei lifted his arms and wrapped them around her. They stayed like this for a few minutes and then seperated. Botan looked at Hiei and saw that he was struggling to not cry. "What's wrong, Hiei?"  
  
"Nothing. I like these hugs, thank you for showing me." Botan smiled at him and said, "No problem."  
  
"Botan?"  
  
"Yes, Hiei?"  
  
"You stopped crying."  
  
"All I needed was a hug."  
  
"Why were you crying anyways?"  
  
"It's nothing. I have to go. I'll see you later."  
  
"Ok. Bye Botan." Hiei said. He watched as Botan flew away on her oar. 'If only I could tell her...no, she wouldn't want me anyways.' Hiei thought to himself as he went back to sleep in the tree.  
  
The next day...  
  
Koenma had called Botan back in for more enjoyment. As he started with her she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with Hiei yesterday. 'He didn't know what a hug was,' she thought to herself, 'and those eyes, how could someone look into them and still hurt him? Poor child.' Botan was sent back to reality as her back hit the wall. She cried out in pain as Koenma yanked the chain that was on her neck so that she hit the ground on all fours.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Hiei entered Koenma's palace in hopes of seeing Botan. He knoew that she was off work at this time and he wanted to tell her his feelings for her. He sensed her spirit energy dropping little by little and started to worry. Hiei followed where the energy signal was coming from and opened the door. What he saw happening shocked and disgusted him. Botan was on all fours at the feet of Koenma. She had a chain around her neck and her clothes were in a pile on the ground. Koenma looked up as he heard the door open and saw an immensly pissed off looking Hiei glareing right back at him. "Oh, shit." Was all that Koenma could say as Hiei pinned him up against a wall. "You asshole! What are you doing to her?!"  
  
"N..nothing H...Hiei." was the response.  
  
"DON'T LIE TO ME YOU BASTARD!" Hiei yelled at the demi-god as he punched Koenma in the stomach. Botan had taken the opportunity to get her clothes back on. She looked over and saw Koenma keel over and cough up blood. She ran over and pulled Hiei away saying, "Stop, Hiei. I don't want you to get punished for this." Botan got her oar and got on it with Hiei. They flew to the Makai forest. When they got there Botan said, "Hiei, thank you for what you did."  
  
"I was paying you back for yesterday, and I wanted to tell you something."  
  
"What?" Botan asked.  
  
"Botan, I...I love you." Hiei said flinching as if expecting to be hit. Botan looked at him and smiled and said, "I love you too."  
  
"What?" Hiei asked, eyes wide.  
  
"I love you too, and I know you wouldn't ever lie to me or hurt me like Koenma did. I love you and I never want to leave you." Hiei smiled at this and responded, "Then you don't ever have to leave." With that they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed passionatly. Tears of joy fell from Botan's eyes as she kissed Hiei's soft lips. They were both comfortable in each others arms and had never been happier. Things never had to be the way they were before again and both Hiei and Botan knew that this was the way things should be forever. 


End file.
